Today’s blog post is a bit different from most. It came from the devotional my wife, and I read this morning. Which is not so unusual, but what is different is where it took my thoughts. It took me to a time when I was struggling with prayer and not seeming to get an answer or at least the one I thought I wanted.
The devotional was called “Resurrection Hope.” The premise of the devotional was the power of the resurrection. If Jesus could conquer death, there was nothing that he could not overcome. There could be no issue we had that he could not overcome, and that is true.
Ephesians 1:19-20 (ESV)
19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,
I do not know about you, but when I read these verses, my issues seem so small. Sometimes so little that I am reluctant to take them to the Lord, or maybe too small to press Him on the subject.
For Your Consideration
Sometimes I will be in prayer, and I will feel like I do not have anything to bring before the Lord. I will be praying, and I am trying to decide whether to make a purchase, or maybe I am having a migraine (not a bad one but one I can manage), or perhaps just some little things that I do not want to bother God about. But when Pat, my wife, read this devotional, I was taken back to a place where I had been while I was still able to work before the strokes took away so much.
It was a decision about a possible transfer to another job.
The Opportunity
The job was a good opportunity for me. One that I had held before. It would have been pretty easy for me. It would have been a good job to be in while I was waiting to retire. But I was not sure about making a move. So I prayed, and I prayed, and I prayed.
I thought this might be one which the Lord wanted me to figure out on my own, but I continued to pray, and I remembered that passage in Luke
Luke 11:9-13 (ESV)
9 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 11 What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
So, I kept on praying. Then I considered a passage in James 4.
James 4:3 (ESV)
3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.
Maybe I was being prideful or asking wrongly. So, I considered this verse in my prayer, from a position of repentance and asking for direction. But in the meantime, I was beginning a study in Acts.
The Study in Acts
I guess this had been about one or two weeks I had been asking the Lord for help in this decision when I started the Acts study. The heading that I came to preceded verse 12, and it was “Matthias Chosen to Replace Judas.”
This section explained how they needed to replace Judas, who had betrayed Christ Jesus and had hung himself. So they prayed, and this was part of their prayers.
Acts 1:24-26 (ESV)
24 And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen 25 to take place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” 26 And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
When I read this, I was pretty shaken up. When I read about casting lots, I thought of this job, and I also thought about complete surrender. To cast lots meant I would have to surrender the decision to God and trust Him completely.
The Decision
That whole thing shook me up. I guess I pondered it for at least a couple of days and that pondering had pretty much left me unwilling to flip a coin over this job. Flipping a coin was the closest thing to casting lots that I could come up with.
I was convinced I could not do it, so I tossed things back and forth for a couple of days, and one day I had to go downstairs and get some change for the vending machine.
The vending machines took quarters and such, and there was a Change Machine that was smart enough to break a one or five-dollar bill. I had a five, so I had a hand full of quarters that would last me a few days.
As I was going back to my desk, I was reminded of that passage in Acts 1, and it nagged at me all the way up the steps. But when I got to my desk, I had decided not to flip a coin yet again. But things did not work out that way.
I opened that drawer on my desk to throw my change, and only $4.75 hit the drawer. One quarter landed on the desk spinning like a top. I looked at that coin spinning there on my desk, and my stomach fell a bit. I have to admit I was a bit shaken, but as I watched it spin, under my breath, I said, “OK, Lord, if it is Heads, I will stay where I am, and if it is Tails, I will interview for the other job.”
Well, the coin fell heads up, and I stayed in my job for about 18 months before taking medical retirement from the strokes.
What I learned
I learned that I did not need to flip the coin to determine the right choice. I need to trust God in all things. The decision had been so difficult because leaving really was never the right choice.
I needed to flip the coin to make this decision to show myself that I could let go and trust God in all things… His plans for me are always the best. I needed to see that I could and should surrender control to God.
I know that I can trust Him in all things. Just like the devotional this morning… if he can overcome death, there is nothing I can throw at Him that is too big for Him. Also, It is important for me to remember that there is nothing too small to give him because, to Him, all things are small; after all, He spoke the universe into existence. He is the breath in my lungs.
Final Thoughts
Reflecting on all of this, it is clear to me that I still fall short of taking everything to the Lord in prayer. It is a bit different now than it was. Instead of thinking it is to small for Him, I find I simply forget or neglect it because my prayer time is shorter than it should be. But the Lord never stops reminding me of the correct path. He always shows me what is right and what I need. All that I need to do is stay in tune.
Two passages help me with this. The first is the easiest for me to paraphrase with a Swiss cheese memory.
Matthew 6:33 (ESV)
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
The other I think I might like a bit better, but it is one I have to google to get right.
Colossians 3:1-4 (ESV)
1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Our God is awesome. His mercy endures forever. When I look at His Word, my heart is filled with a feeling of peace and joy that cannot be found by things of this world.
Prayer
Father, thank you for the day. Thank you for linking yet another memory of mine through Your Word. You are an amazing God. Father help me never to lose sight of your word or your plans for me. Help me stay focused so that I might not miss anything. I know I fall short every day, Lord. I pray you forgive me for those sins of commission and omission. Break my heart for what breaks yours so that I might repent, and we might have no obstacles between us. In Jesus name, I pray, Amen
Amen! Real Faith means we trust God and His Truth even and especially when we can’t see the outcome(s)! Dr. Tony Evans says, “Faith is acting like God is telling the Truth.” This requires us to first know His Word (Truth) and then act on it rather than what we can see and feel around us. Thanks, as always, Dan! Great word! God bless in Christ!